The Slytherin Balance
by Lanasaurus
Summary: Vi Potter is James Potter's twin sister. She's also a Slytherin. Vi is driven my ambition to become a successful politician, and recognises the value of cunning and subtlety, but in their fifth year, she starts to lose her perfect balance on life. How will she juggle Hogwarts and its death eaters, blood traiters and worst of all... boys (cough, Sirius Black). AU OC/SB, JP/LE


**Hello! **Just a few things to say about this story, but feel free to skip and get straight to it.

Firstly, I believe that James and Sirius are actually first cousins once removed, but for the purpose of this fic I'm going to make them more distantly related than that, because although the Black's had a habit of marrying cousins, the Potters did not.

Also, so that I don't have to introduce too many OCs, I've dabbled a bit with ages (notable amongst the Slytherin characters).

To summarise, this is a story about Violetta Potter (named after her maternal grandmother), Vi for short. She is James Potter's twin sister, and also a Slytherin. This story starts in the summer before their fifth year and explores how Vi has to quickly learn to tread water. Voldemort is developing into more than just hushed whispers, there is more of a physical presence about him now, particularly in the Slytherin common room. Can Vi balance being friends with certain Slytherins, but avoid the pressure of joining their 'gang'? All that whilst being a teenage girl at Hogwarts, which involves prefect duties, O.W.L. exams, an annoying twin brother, and his even more annoying and handsome best friend...

**Reviews greatly appreciated!**

* * *

It was the middle of a beautiful July; the weather had been hot and dry as a summer holiday should be. Merlin knows I saw enough rain, wind, sleet and snow when I was at school. I'll never understand why they had to build a school in Scotland, rather than somewhere with a more desirable climate. Okay, so I do understand why a school for witchcraft and wizardry has to be in an isolated location, and I grudgingly accept that in the British Isles, there isn't really anywhere with great weather conditions anyway. I had woken early today, not wanting to waste a moment of lounging in the warm sun, and so it was that I was beside my family pool when a loud yell interrupted my bliss.

"Vi! Vi! Our Hogwarts letters have arrived! Vi! You'll never believe it, you'll never believe this. Well actually, it's really not so unbelievable at all-".

My brother was running across the patio from Potter Manor towards me. I had to admit, I was kind of intrigued about what had got him so excited at nine in the morning.

"Hey Jamie, thanks!" As he approached me he flung a crisp envelope towards me. I noticed he was also carrying a thick piece of parchment, clearly _his_ letter.

"So, what's so… not unbelievable?" I enquired.

My dear brother flourished his letter before him with a huge grin and pushed his glasses up his nose before reading:

"_Dear Master James Charlus Potter,_

_Please find enclosed your booklist for your fifth year of Hogwarts._

_Congratulations are also in order as we grant you Gryffindor Quidditch Captain._

_I look forward to the new year,_

_Deputy Headmistress,_

_Professor McGonagall_"

I shrieked with happiness for my brother and jumped up to envelop him in a hug, I knew how much he wanted this. He genuinely lived and breathed for Quidditch. He even wanted to play professionally after graduating from Hogwarts. I noticed that he had already pinned the red badge with the initials _Q.C. _engraved beautifully in gold.

He waggled his eyebrows at me under his mop of messy hair, "Well, aren't you going to open yours, eh? Seems to me you have a badge in yours too…"

On that note, I completely disregarded James and turned to my letter, breaking the emerald green wax seal of the Hogwarts crest. I unfolded my letter and read to James as he had to me (including the ridiculous flourish):

"_Dear Miss Violetta Dorea Potter,_

_Please find enclosed your booklist for your fifth year of Hogwarts._

_Congratulations are also in order as we grant to you the position of Slytherin fifth year Prefect. Please report to the Head Boy and Head Girl once you have boarded the Hogwarts Express September 1st and they shall outline your new responsibilities._

_I look forward to the new year,_

_Deputy Headmistress,_

_Professor McGonagall_"

I slid the shiny emerald green badge with the silver _P_ out of the envelope and gazed upon it. This was a symbol of hard work, dedication and responsibility, and I knew I deserved it. With a smirk I looked to James to see a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Best watch yourself now, Jamie, don't think I won't dock points from you if I catch you breaking the school rules!" I poked him in the ribs, and he grinned back at me.

"What are you accusing me of?" he asked in mock horror, to which I just laughed and ran towards the manor, dragging him along with me.

Our parents were seated across from each other at the kitchen table where we always had breakfast. I took a moment to admire them both as they glanced up at me and my brother with endearing smiles on their faces. My mother was the picture of elegance. Dorea Potter was born a Black, and had the deep black hair to match. Today it was pinned back at the nape of her neck, and she wore flowing, lilac robes. Her hazel eyes shone with pride as she looked at us, no doubt guessing correctly the contents of our letters.

My father was grinning with a lot less composure than his wife, James inherited that trait. Fortunately for me, I had inherited my mother's subtlety. His greying hair was short and slicked back (I really don't know why James' was always such a bird's nest) and his rich brown eyes glowed with happiness. He was wearing his robes for work and I realised with great fondness that he must have delayed going into work today just to wait for our letters. He was the head of the International Magical Office of Law, a division under Barty Crouch's Department of International Magical Cooperation, and he really shouldn't have taken this time off.

"So kids," my father started with barely concealed humour written all over his face, "there must be an interesting new book this year on the syllabus".

James, the prat he was, laughed in appreciation of his joke, whilst mother and I rolled our eyes in exasperation. He then wasted not another second before unpinning the badge from his chest and tossing it to father whilst babbling to mother about his new post. They both got up, father clapping him on the back and mother embracing him. James looked exuberant.

"Mum, Dad," I said, nodding to each in turn with far more composure than my brother, "I've been recognised with the honour of Prefect!" My mother wrapped her arms around me and kissed me on the forehead whilst father dad ruffled my hair.

"Oh, Violetta, I am ever so proud of you!" my father exclaimed fondly. He then glanced at his timepiece inside his robes and let out a long sigh. "I'd love to be able to revel in your moment a little longer, but I really must be away to the Ministry, Merlin knows Barty doesn't empathise with wanting a moment with your kids…" I blushed at his words, thinking of Barty Crouch Junior, a fourth year Slytherin with a seemingly endless thirst to prove himself.

With that, my father hurriedly kissed mother on the cheek, before departing the kitchen and heading towards the grand fireplace in the entrance hall and flooing to the Ministry. The Potter Manor and its grounds had many protective enchantments upon it, including anti-apparition charms. James also ran off, probably to owl his friends, leaving me in the kitchen with mother. She offered me yet another loving smile and patted my shoulder in apology. Me and James hadn't been as close as were as children during our four years at Hogwarts, and she could see how it upset me at times. I had gotten used to shrugging it off though and instead of dwelling on his immediate departure I turned to my mother.

"So, do you have plans today? We could go to Diagon Alley, I have my booklist now," I enquired hopefully.

She grimaced in apology, "Oh Vi, I was actually scheduled to meet Mrs Crouch this morning. She's hosting the benefit ball this weekend, you remember? The first ball of your summer, it's going to be a spectacular event, she's sparing no expense, Augusta and I have been helping her organise it…" My mother rambled on softly about the decorations as I followed her through the house. Once we had climbed the stairs (by this point she was updating me on the guest list, and the potential problems caused by the seating plan), we parted ways, me heading towards my bedroom.

I entered my room and sat on the double bed, still carrying my later, and let out a sigh before gazing around the room. It was a large room, though not excessively so, with grand oak furniture. The walls were covered in beautiful emerald wallpaper, with delicate silver damask print. I loved green, it had always been my favourite colour, and it amused me to no end to see my brother's distaste for my room.

I pinned my Hogwarts letter and booklist to a noticeboard above my desk, where there were four other letters and an array of wizard photos. I smiled briefly at them, mostly they were ones of James and I, back when we were younger, and he was my Jamie. There were also a couple of the girls I shared my dormitory with: Nigella Nott, Emmeline Prince, Druella Rosier and Mara O'Malley. I missed them already, but we had owled each other often enough since leaving Hogwarts a fortnight ago. I knew Dru and Nigella were both going to the ball this weekend, their fathers also worked at the Ministry, so I decided to owl them with plans to go shopping.

* * *

That evening I flooed home from the Leaky Cauldron after a thoroughly exhausting but highly entertaining and successful shopping endeavour. Nigella had been unable to join us, but Dru had been desperate for a chance to do something and had been great company. She had congratulated me endlessly on making prefect, stating that I was the obvious choice, and although I agreed, it was still amazing to hear. I glanced at the clock and realised time had run away with me today. Weighed down with my shopping bags, I idly strolled through the Manor calling out to my family. They were in our informal sitting room, and James was awkwardly standing before our parents, clutching a letter tightly. My father glanced up and smiled at me.

"Vi dear, lovely to see you, I'm afraid James was just about to tell us something, seems important, if you could forgive me not enquiring about your day immediately."

I nodded stupidly. I couldn't pretend not to be a bit put out by this, and looked to James expectantly.

"Ah, well, right…" he started awkwardly. "It's, see – it's about Sirius." He looked imploringly at mother, who had her brow furrowed in concern.

I couldn't help but grimace. Sirius Black was James' Gryffindor partner in crime. Although most wizarding families were somewhat familiar, due to Orion and Walburga Black's less social tendencies (they had a major fear of being in a room with anyone who wasn't a pureblood) James and I did not meet Black until our very first train ride on the Hogwarts express. They bonded over denouncing Slytherin, bullying Severus Snape and an unhealthy amount of cauldron cakes and chocolate frogs. This was all before arriving at Hogwarts. Unfortunately for me, they had been inseparable ever since, and Black usurped my position at James' side. Not that I was bitter or anything.

Okay, I didn't like the guy. He was stupidly handsome with his dark hair and cool, grey eyes and chiselled jaw. He also had those prominent Beater muscles, and his biceps were a fine sight, I'll tell you that. But, he hates Slytherin House with a passion, and I get many a scathing remark about my choice of friends. Then there's the fact that he's a complete scoundrel who doesn't think twice before acting on an impulse, be that hexing a random student in a corridor between classes or toying with many girls' affections simultaneously. He was also insanely adept in transfiguration, or so I'd heard. Mind you, I had to admit I believed that one, of all the rumours to spread, no one would just fabricate that Black was the top of our year, and probably the best in the school too.

So, Black was my Jamie's best friend. His family is a bunch of pureblood fanatics (I'll exclude my mother from that generalisation though), and rather enthusiastic about the Dark Arts (again, my mother's not really a representative of the majority of her family). Black was never into any of that, he literally gravitated to James and his totally open and pure heart. The one thing I'll say in his favour (apart from his attractiveness) is that he really does seem to detest what his family stands for. I do feel sorry for him; he must have had an awful childhood which certainly did not improve once he was sorted into Gryffindor. _Every _Black before him was a Slytherin.

And so I have always felt kind of guilty around him. His family were a caricature of the stereotype of Slytherin House, and consequentially he hated it. But Slytherin doesn't equal dark magic. Slytherin is about ambition, and cunning and greatness. I was proud of that, but he made me feel like it was beneath the dirt on his shoe. I can name plenty of great Slytherins who aren't Dark wizards, and I can name the odd Dark wizard who wasn't a Slytherin. Despite the fact he was best friends with my brother, we never had much contact, for which I have counted my lucky stars.

Stars, it turns out, are most definitely _not _lucky.

"Can he move in with us?"

That one question made me feel sick. I watched as James handed the letter he was clutching to our mother. She accepted it and studied it carefully, pursing her lips as she read. My father had stood up resignedly, looking like he was carrying a huge burden.

"Charlus…" Mother whispered to my father, and they shared an intense look. He nodded and muttered something incomprehensible. I looked at James, he looked so nervous, so _desperate_. Mother turned to James.

"Do you require me to go and collect him, I assure you Walburga would not dare-"

"No," James quickly interrupted, "I'll owl him now, he's already packed, he'll be here immediately." He dropped down to a couch and jotted a quick note with a quill and parchment on the coffee table before running upstairs to his owl.

I feel as if everyone had forgotten my presence and I studied my parents' concerned faces openly. My father was the first to speak, seemingly to himself, "I fear the climate is far worse than any of us anticipated… The threat is increasing." My mother paled and jerked her head in my direction. My father stared at me a moment, before starting, and forcing a smile.

I excused myself, and retired to my room, taking my shopping bags with me. For some reason, I began to doubt how lovely that ball would be now.

And for a reason I understood perfectly well, I thoroughly doubted how lovely my summer would be now that I would be sharing a roof with none other than Sirius Black.


End file.
